The Sorting Hat
by KathrynWoodfurrow
Summary: In the still of the night, three of the Hogwarts Four meet on the shores of the lake to decide the fate of Hogwarts.


By Kelli Petete  
  
*All characters appearing in this fanfiction are the property of J.K.Rowling and Scholastic books.*  
  
In the stillness of th night, the witch walked barefoot on the dew-laden grass in front of the newly built castle. Her long, deep red curls spiraled down her back in a cascade of fire and gold, hiding the black robe which bore the crest of her family. Her brown eys stared longingly at the crystal lake in front of her. Under other circumstances, she might have fancied a moonlight swim. But no, tonight was for other matters.  
  
"Rowena!"  
  
The witch turned to see another witch, this one shorter and plumper, strolling in her direction. Rowena smiled at her friend, whose blond hair was tucked into a bun at the nape of her neck, a few stray wisps refusing to be tamed. Rowena bent down to kiss both o the jovial woman's rosy cheeks.  
  
"Dear Helga. But where is Godric? And Salazar?" she asked.  
  
"Here I am."  
  
Rowena's heart skipped a few beats as she turned to see Godric Gryffindor. He seemed taller in the moonlight. His long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and his green eyes sparkled handsomely as they stared straight into Rowena's.  
  
Sometimes, Rowena thought, it's as if he can see into my soul.  
  
Helga's sapphire eyes twinkled.  
  
"Well, all that's left is Salazar."  
  
Godric lowered his eyes sadly. In his mind he could still recall angry words, misaimed curses, and boundless hatred.  
  
"He isn't coming. I'm afraid Salazar Slytherin has left us, and Hogwarts, forever."  
  
"Oh Godric...." Rowena said softly, pity welling inside her.  
  
"But, how can we sort the students if Salazar is not here?" Helga asked anxiously.  
  
"I say good riddance. Slytherin has been a thorn to us ever since we built Hogwarts. Let us be rid of his house." Godric replies, hatred dripping from his voice like venom.  
  
Rowena, the wisest of the Hogwarts Four, shook her head while Helga looked on nervously.  
  
"You can't mean that. Salazar Slytherin was one of the four founders. He is as much a part of this school as you or I. We can't just dispose of a part of Hogwarts, despite our own prejudices." she insisted.  
  
Godric was silent. Taking this as acceptance, Helga turned to Rowena.  
  
"But how then can we sort the students?" she asked worriedly.  
  
But Godric had already found the answer. From inside the confines of his cloak, he produced a worn, but still in good shape, wizard's hat.  
  
"I had thought to have it bewitched by the Hogwart's Four, for use when we are all gone. Who better to see what's in a child's head, than a thinking capt." he said, a slight grin spreading across his face.  
  
"That is, if all present give consent." he added, turning his gaze first to Helga, and then to Rowena.  
  
Rowena tried hard to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat when Godric's eyes were upon her.  
  
"By my name and House, Rowena Ravenclaw consents." she said, throwing her hand out.  
  
Helga's smaller hand covered Rowena's.  
  
"By my name and House, Helga Hufflepuff consents." she said.  
  
Godric smiled and lay his hand, the one not holding the hat, on top of Helga's. For a fleeting instant, his fingers brushed the back of Rowena's hand.  
  
"Then by my name and House, Godric Gryffindor consents."  
  
The pale moon was the only witness that night to the contract made by the three friends. Glad though they were to find a harmonious solution to the sorting problem, Godric, Rowena, and Helga all felt the emptiness in the bottom of their hearts. It would never be right without Salazar Slytherin.  
  
"In the course of the years that followed, it fell to Godric Gryffindor's hat, so called the Sorting Hat, to divide the first-years who would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Remus read aloud from the tattered diary of Rowena Ravenclaw. Lily had been surprised to have come across such a book, even within the deep confines of the Hogwarts library.  
  
The fifth-year Gryffindor shut the book, a small cloud of disrupted dust rising into the air.  
  
Lily sighed.  
  
"It's sad you know," Lily said looking up at Remus. "You can tell she loved him."  
  
Remus said nothing. He did not have to ask to know who she was talking about.  
  
"Did she ever get to marry him?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Remus shook his head. Lily Evans was Muggle-born and knew little about the history of the wizarding world.  
  
"No, he went on to marry some muggle girl, name was Sephrena, I think."  
  
Lily only sighed.  
  
"Oh look! There's James and Sirius!" Remus said, jumping up from his chair and leaving the worn diary on the desk in front of him.  
  
Lily's head whipped around, her eyes landing on James'. For a brief moment, she felt like Rowena Ravenclaw, with James looking as handsome as Rowena's descriptions of Gryffindor. With a smile, she went to join her friends.  
  
The End. 


End file.
